This week, the National Council of Higher Education (Cones) made the decision to temporarily suspend the authorization of new Medical Sciences courses during its ordinary session. The resolution, which was generally approved by Cones, has been met with criticism from Colorado Senator Gustavo Leite, a former Minister of Industry, who has labeled it as a failure.
According to Senator Leite, the failure lies in the fact that the Cones, as well as the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education (Aneaes), failed to effectively regulate the field. The suspension of new career authorizations has put eight new courses on hold, with plans to analyze the specific points in the next session.
Senator Leite proposed the development of conditions and hospitals with adequate facilities for each university to ensure efficient operations. He emphasized the importance of compliance with regulations to prevent the closure of opportunities in the market for the benefit of mediocre individuals.
“We are losing opportunities. Instead of having 9,000 mediocre students, we could have 100,000 high-level students and multiple cities in Paraguay with university students, similar to the setup in the United States,” stated Senator Leite. He urged for these decisions to be challenged while upholding the value of freedom.
The debate surrounding the suspension of career qualifications in the medical field highlights the need for a balance between regulation and opportunity in the higher education sector in Paraguay.